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And preaches to us all : admonishing

That we should dress us fairly for our end.

O momentary grace of mortal men,
Which we more hunt for than the grace of God!
Who builds his hope in the air of men's fair looks,
Lives lifte a drunken failor on a mast,
Ready with every nod to tumble down
Into the fatal bowels of the deep.

-Who fhall go about

To cozen fortune and be honorable

Without the ftamp of merit; let none prefume
To wear an undeferved dignity.

O that eftates, degrees, and offices,

Were not derived corruptly, that clear honour
Were purchased by the merit of the wearer!
How many then fhould cover, that ftand bare!
How many be commanded, that command!
Tis flander!

Whofe edge is fharper than a fword; whofe tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile! whole breath
Rides on the pofting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world. Kings, queens and states,
Maids, matrons, nay, the fecrets of the grave,
This viperous flander enters.

There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune:
Omitted all the voyage of their life

Is bound in fhallows, and in miferies.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty fpace from day to day,
To the last fyllable of recorded time,
And all our yefterdays have lighted fools

The way to dufky death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking fhadow, a poor player,
That ftruts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more! It is a tale
Told by an ideot, full of found and fury,
Signifying nothing.

He that would pass the latter part of his life with h nour and decency, muft, when he is young, confider that!

fhall one day be old-and remember, when he is old, that he hath once been young.

Avarice is always poor, but poor by her own fault.

The maxim which Periander of Corinth, one of the feven fages of Greece, left as a memorial of his knowledge and benevolence, was, "Be mafter of your anger. He confidered anger as the great difturber of human life, the chief enemy both of public happiness and private tranquility; and thought he could not lay on pofterity a ftronger obligation to reverence his memory, than by leaving them a falutary caution against this outrageous paffion.

The univerfal axiom, in which all complaifance is included, and from which flow all the formalities which custom has established in civilized nations, is, "That no man fhould give any preference to himfelf." A rule fo comprehenfive and certain, that, perhaps, it is not eafy for the mind to imagine an incivility, without fuppofing it to be broken.

The foundation of content muft fpring up in a man's own mind; and he who has fo little knowledge of human nature, as to feek happinefs by changing any thing but his own difpofition, will wafte his life in fruitlefs efforts, and multiply griefs which which he purposes to remove.

No rank in life precludes the efficacy of a well timed compliment. When Queen Elizabeth afked an Ambaffador how he liked her ladies, he replied, "It was hard to judge of ftars in prefence of the fun."

The crime which has been once committed, is committed again with lefs reluctance.

The great difturbers of our happiness in this world, are our defires, our griefs, and our fears; and to all these the consideration of mortality is a certain and adequate remedy. "Think, (fays Epictetus) "frequently on poverty, banifhment, and death, and thou wilt never indulge violent defires, or give up thy heart to mean fentences."

The certainty that life cannot be long, and the probability that it will be fhorter than nature allows, ought to awaken every man to the active profecution of whatever he is defrous to perform. It is true that no diligence can afcertain fuccefs; death may intercept the swifteft career; but he who is cut off in the execution of an honeft undertaking, has at least the honour of falling

in his rank, and has fought the battle, though he miffed the victory.

When we act according to our duty, we commit the event to him by whofe laws our actions are governed, and who will fuffer none to be finally punished for obedience. But, when in profpect of fome good, whether natural or moral, we break the rules prefcribed to us, we withdraw from the direction of fuperior wifdom, and take all confequences upon ourselves.

minion.

Employment is the great inftrument of intellectual doThe mind cannot retire from its enemy into total vacancy, or turn afide from one object, but by paffing to another.

Without frugality, none can be rich; and with its very few would be poor.

Though in every age there are fome, who by bold adven. tures, or by favourable accidents, rife fuddenly into riches; the bulk of mankind must owe their affluence to firall and gradual profits, below which their expenfes must be refolutely reduced.

A man's voluntary expenfes fhould not exceed his in

come.

Let not a man anticipate uncertain profits.

The happiness of the generality of the people is nothing if it is not known; and very little, if it is not envied.

To improve the Golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life. Many wants are fuffered which might have once been fupplied, and much time is loft in regretting the time which has been loft before.

One of the golden precepts of Pythagoras directs us, "That a friend fhould not be hated for little faults."

1.

"A

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Story of the Cobler and bis Son.

YOUNG man, foon of a cobler in a finall village near Madrid, having pufhed his fortune in the Indies, returned to his native country with a confiderable

stock, and fet up as a Banker in Madrid. In his abfence, his parents frequently talked of him, praying fervently that Heaven would take him under its protection; and the vicar being their friend, gave them frequently the public prayers of the congregation for him.

2. The banker was not lefs dutiful on his part; for, fo foon as he was fettled, he mounted on horfeback, and went alone to the village. It was ten at night before he got there, and the honest cobler was a bed with his wife, in a found fleep, when he knocked at the door. Open the door, fays the banker, 'tis your fon Francillo.

3. Make others believe that if you can, cried the old. man, ftarting from his fleep, go about your bufiuefs you thieving rogues, here is nothing for you: Francillo, if not dead, is now in the Indies. He is no longer there, replied the banker; he is returned home, and it is he who now speaks to you; open your door and receive him.

4. Jacobo, faid the woman, let us arise then; I really believe it is Francillo-I think I know his voice. The father, ftarting from bed, lighted a candle; and the mother, putting on her gown in a hurry, opened the door.Dooking earnestly on Francillo, fhe flung her arms about his neck, and hugged him with the utmost aflection.-Jacobo embraced his fon in his turn; and all three, tranf ported with joy after fo long an abfence, had no end in expreffing their tendernefs.

5. After thefe pleafing transports, the banker put his horfe into the ftable, where he found an old milk-cow, nurse to the whole family. He then gave the old folks an account of his voyage, and of all the riches he had brought from Peru. They liftened greedily, and every the leaft particular of his relation made on them a fenfible impreffion of grief or joy. Having finished his ftory, he offered them a part of his eftate, and entreated his father not to work any more.

6. No, my fon, faid Jacobo, I love my trade and will not leave it off. Why, replied the banker, is it not now high time to take your eafe? I do not propofe your living with me at Madrid; know well that a city life will not please you; enjoy your own way of living; but give over your hard labour, and pafs the remainder of your days in cafe and plenty.

7. The mother feconded the fon; and Jacobo yielded. To pleafe you, Francillo, faid he, I will not work any more for the public, but will only mend my own fhoes and thofe of my good friend the vicar. The agreement being concluded, the banker ate a couple of eggs, and went to his bed, enjoying that pleafing fatisfaction which none but dutiful children can feel or understand.

8. The next morning the banker, leaving his parents a purfe of three hundred ducats returned to Madrid; but was furprised to fee Jacobo at his houfe a few days thereafter. My father, faid he, what brings you here? Francillo, anfwered the honeft cobler, I have brought your purfe; take it again: for I defire to live by my trade, and have been ready to die with uneafinefs ever fince I left off working.

I.

P

CHAP. X.

HONESTY REWARDED.

ERRIN loft both parents before he could articulate their names, and was obliged to a charity houfe for his education. At the age of fifteen he was hired by a farmer to be a fhepherd, in the neighbourhood of Lucetta, who kept her father's fheep. They often met, and were fond of being together.

2.

Five years thus paffed, when their fenfations became more ferious. Perrin propofed to Lucetta to demand her from her father; She blushed, and confeffed her willing-: nels. As the had an errand to town next day, the opportunity of her abfence was chofen for making the propofals You want to marry my daughter, faid the old man. Have you a houfe to cover her, or money to maintain her? Lucetta's fortune is not enough for both.

Well,

3. It won't do, Perrin, it won't do. But, replied Perrin, I have hands to work. I have laid up twenty crowns of my wages, which will defray the expence of the wedding. I'll work harder, and lay up more. faid the old man, you are young, and may wait a little. Get rich, and my daughter is at your fervice. Permin waited for Lucetta's returning in the evening, Has my ather given you a refulat, cried Lucetta? Ah, Lucetreplied Perrin, how unhappy am I for being

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